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Iberostar Playa de Palma

The five-star Iberostar Playa de Palma is right by the beach in a well-established resort with easy access to Palma and the airport. With contemporary luxe design and the option to stay on an all-inclusive basis, it appeals to couples and families looking for a superior seaside holiday experience.

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Rooms from

£65per night

Check-in

Check-out

Occupancy

Rooms

Adults

Children

Ages of children

Location

8/10

The hotel faces the beach in the sprawling resort of Playa de Palma, which hugs the coastline of the Bay of Palma, immediately east of the capital. The promenade stretches for miles around the bay and is great for running and cycling – there are lots of places to hire bikes of all descriptions. This is a very sporty area where locals and visitors can be seen doing yoga on the beach or having a dip before breakfast.

Bars and restaurants are mostly of the traditional resort variety, but healthfood cafés and cocktail bars have started to pop up. The L25 bus from the airport (two miles/three kilometres) and the L15 to Palma (seven miles/11 km) stop very near the hotel. There are several golf courses within a 20-minute drive.

Style & character

7/10

The Iberostar Playa de Palma is one of the first new hotels that are part of a plan to revamp the area and make it more upmarket on all levels. A zigzagging façade creates a dramatic impression on the beachfront location, while inside a colour scheme of dazzling white and zingy turquoise continues the modern vibe. The lobby has a floor of traditional patterned tiles, but your eyes are drawn to a lifesize gold cow – who is apparently called Filomena and was made by the artist Pedro Curt.

Service & facilities

8/10

Staff are smiling and helpful throughout the hotel. There is an attractive large outdoor pool with plenty of sunbeds and a small gym. Fitness activities at the hotel include aquagym and pilates. Watersports can be arranged.

The spa, with a sauna and steam room, offers a wide range of treatments including cocoa bean exfoliation (€75/£64), ayurvedic abhyanga massage (€95/£81) and pedicures (from €35/£30). Guests in superior category rooms have access to a roof terrace with a sundeck and an infinity pool.

Bar

Beach

Fitness centre

Kids' club

Laundry

Parking

Pool

Restaurant

Room service

Sauna

Spa

Steam room/hammam

Wi-Fi

Rooms

8/10

The 188 rooms and suites are bright and unusually spacious with excellent beds backed by wooden headboards in geometric shapes. Huge Grundig television have UK channels. Bathrooms have double washbasins and large showers – some with steam and coloured light settings. There is an overall luxe feel. Rooms in the Star Prestige category have a terrace with rocking chairs, a hydromassage tub and a panoramic view of the Bay of Palma – fleece blankets and cushions are provided so you can get nice and comfortable.

Food & drink

8/10

The Playa Blanca buffet offers an excellent range and standard for a holiday hotel. Most guests are on half-board or all-inclusive. Food is freshly prepared and well presented with daily specials. There are artisan cheeses, lots of shellfish, local and international dishes and vegetarian options.

For breakfast (7.30am to 10.30am) there are fresh juices and smoothies, porridge, waffles and pancakes. Chefs cook eggs to order.

La Marea is an elegantly-designed à la carte restaurant that is used more by locals than guests and is one of the best places to eat in Playa de Palma. Guests on meal packages are awarded a discount here. The focus is on Majorcan and Spanish produce, with fish and meat cooked on a charcoal grill. The menu includes superb rice dishes with lobster, cuttlefish or prawns, or you could go for suckling pig, ceviche or roast octopus. Most dishes are available in half portions so you can have a tapas-style meal.

There is entertainment during the evenings, either at the pool bar or the indoor Mar Blau lounge. A chillout terrace with daybeds overlooking the sea is a chic spot for drinks.

Value for money

Access for guests with disabilities?

There are six adapted rooms. The hotel is fully accessible, with a chairlift to get up to the chillout terrace and a chair to get into the pool.

Family-friendly?

Family rooms with two sofabeds are available and cots are provided. There is a kids’ club in the mornings and guests have access to the children’s pool and other facilities at the Iberostar Cristina, a couple of minutes' walk away.